Sports Drink or Water...Which Goes Best With Your Workout?

Are sports drinks better for you than water? If you work out for fewer than 60 minutes, water is all you need. If you work out for longer than 60 minutes, sports drinks do have their place. When you sweat, you lose water and salts. If you don't replace them, you can become dehydrated. Sports drinks contain electrolytes like sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and water. This combination replaces the fluids in your body faster than water can. Sports drinks also contain carbohydrates, which give you the calories you need for fuel.

Kids and sports drinks
It's important for children to replace lost fluids. This is because it's harder for kids to regulate their fluid balances than adults. Sports drinks replace lost electrolytes.

Staying hydrated
How much fluid you should drink depends upon the type and intensity of the exercise you are doing, as well as such variables as your individual metabolic rate, body mass, size, and the environmental conditions. As a rule of thumb, drink 4 to 12 ounces of fluid for every 20 minutes of exercise. Drink before and after exercise as well. Don't wait until you're thirsty to start drinking. Thirst is a sign that your body has already been without fluids for a while.

Too much water can dilute the sodium in your system and cause you to collapse. Too much sports drink can make you retain water. It can also upset your stomach. To avoid this, try diluting your sports drink with an equal amount of water.

Check the label
Read the label on your sports drink. Make sure it contains no fewer than 6 percent and no more than 8 percent carbohydrates. More than 8 percent can cause cramping, diarrhea and nausea. Less than 6 percent will not provide you with enough energy.

Other fluids
Fitness waters are OK to use during exercise. They don't contain carbs, so they won't boost your energy level. You should not have energy drinks during strenuous activity. They're loaded with caffeine, which promotes dehydration. Tea, coffee and many soft drinks also contain caffeine. They also lack electrolytes, making them a poor choice for hydration.

Make your own
You can save a bundle by making your own sports drinks. There are three types:

• Isotonic: for the average athlete. Mix 200 mL of frozen orange juice concentrate with one liter of water and a pinch of salt.
• Hypotonic: for athletes with low perspiration levels, like jockeys and gymnasts. Same as above, but use 100 mL of concentrate.
• Hypertonic: for athletes like long-distance runners who need extra carbohydrates and electrolytes. Same as above, but use 400 mL of frozen orange juice.

Related Articles Soft Drinks: Liquid Candy for Kids Working Out the Wrong Way? Hot-Weather Health Threats

External Sources Nemours Foundation. Power drinks: should your child drink them? Accessed January 4, 2007. Teen Consumer Health and Safety. Sports drinks. Accessed January 4, 2007. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Sports drinks helpful for exercise longer than 45 minutes; water OK for shorter periods. Accessed January 4, 2007. Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital. What's to drink? Accessed January 4, 2007. American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine roundtable on hydration and physical activity: consensus statements. Accessed July 22, 2007.

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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